Manufacturing Project Log

2/7/97............I have determined that I will be making a lamp stand. I would like to make the stand out of brass if possible. Maybe about 2" diameter neck, and a wider base. The stand will have to be built so that I can wire and attach bulb holding attachments upon completion.

2/10/97.........I have found out that the most available material is 1" dia. brass bar stock, which I should be able to use without too much problem. However, I have determined that a wood, possibly oak would be a better choice for the base of the stand. A 4" or 5" dia. bar of brass would be rather costly, and extremely heavy for a lamp base. I have a preliminary sketch drawn up of the type of stand that I would like to build. The overall height of the lamp is about 12", the neck is made from 1" brass dia. bar stock, and the base is approximately a 1.5" thk. 5" X 5" piece of oak.

2/11/97........Today I talked with Bob Bero and determined that the way I would like to cut grooves around the sides of the brass for decoration will be possible. Also, we discussed possible ways to drill out the center of the brass bar stock which needs to be done to allow the cord to run through it. Bob has a 15/64" drill bit which is 9" long, so I think I will be able to make two separate sections of the neck region, which when put together will be approximately 12" long. Also, today I went shopping, and found a bulb socket which can be easily attached to the base with a slip fit, and a set screw. The base of the socket is about 3/8" dia., and already has a set screw in it. I will just need to have a rod slightly smaller than 3/8" at the end of my upper neck piece, to attach the socket. Also, I found a lamp shade which fits onto the socket, without any other support needed.

2/12/97.......Through talking to Bob today, I have determined that the best way to connect the two separate sections of the neck will be to machine a interference fit, and use some light force to get the two pieces together. Because the two pieces do not need to ever be disassembled, this should be suffice. I also have determined that Menards is a very likely source for the 1.5" oak wood. Other than that, I have updated my sketches, and will be making AutoCad drawings soon.

2/13/97.......I have completed my drawings by hand, and they have been drawn to scale. I also submitted these drawings to be critiqued.

3/10/96.......I have completed a preliminary process plan for the 1" brass, which will compose the neck of the lamp.

3/14/97.......Today I obtained my brass bar stock from Bob, and have rough cut it to size. Also I have started using the lathe to drill out the center of the two bar sections. Everything has worked out well so far.

3/17/97.......I work in the lab for a little while today, and have finished drilling out the centers of the two bars.

3/21/97.......The first thing that I did today was face off the ends of the two bars to the correct length. I used the lathe to do this, and had to carefully measure the bars to make sure I did not cut them too short. I then proceeded to make the 1/2" hole in the end of the larger brass bar. I first used a 7/16" drill to rough cut the hole. Next I used a 1/2" boring bar to get the hole to proper dimension. It was important that hole be very exact and smooth, because it is to be used as an interference fit to connect the two brass bars. The last thing I did today was drill and tap the two #8-32 holes on the bottom of the shorter brass bars. I first used a scale to mark the locations of the holes. Secondly, I mounted the bar in the mill, and drilled two holes using a #19 drill. Lastly, I used a number 29 tap, and threaded the holes.

3/22/97.......Friday I talked to Bob Bero, and found that a good source for oak which I want to use for my lamp base would be a business called Wood Source. Today I went to Wood Source, and found a nice 1 7/8" thick piece of red oak. The piece is large enough that both the base for my project, and the base for Brian Vander Kolk's project will be cut out of it.

3/24/97.......Today I used the lathe to cut the end of the longer brass bar to the 3/8" diameter. This will be the end where the light socket fixture will be attached. I then mounted the shorter bar in the lathe, and cut the 1/2" long, 0.503" diameter. It was especially important for me to only take off a small amount of material at a time, as I approached the .503" diameter. After each cut I measured the diameter, and continued to take off only a couple of thousandths of material with each cut until I reached the correct diameter. I then used a file to put a small chamfer on this end which will serve as a lead in when I press fit the two bars together. Upon completion of these two cuts, I marked out the locations for the decorative grooves along the lengths of the two bars. Next, I found a 1/4" wide tool, and cut the 12 grooves to a finish diameter of 3/4". With the tool that I used, it was difficult to achieve a nice surface finish. After adjusting the speeds and feeds, I was forced to still be left with a rough surface. I will therefore have to sand and polish the inside of the grooves to enhance the appearance of the brass.

3/28/97.......I was only able to work in the lab a short time today, and I began sanding the surface of the bars.

4/4/97.........Today I painstakingly polished the surfaces on both of the brass bars. I used sand paper of various grits, and steel wool to achieve a nice surface finish on both bars.

4/10/97.......Having completed the brass work, I focused on the wood base today. I stopped and bought a square piece of felt for the bottom of the base at Field's Fabric. In the wood shop, I completely finished the wood base using the table saw, drill press, and sander.

4/11/97.......Last night I completely sanded the whole base by hand, and it is now very smooth. Today, I stained the base using some stain that I had from a previous project.

4/12/97.......Upon finding some varnish in the wood shop this morning, I applied a coat of varnish to the base, and it is looking very nice. I also used a dead blow hammer to press fit my two pieces of brass together, and now have the stand complete. Lastly, I assembled the bulb fixture to the top end of the bar.

4/14/97.......Today I sanded the wood base, and applied one more layer of varnish.

4/15/97........Today I completed the assembly of the lamp. This included gluing felt to the bottom surface of the base, wiring the lamp, fastening the stand to the base, and installing a bulb and the lamp shade.